If you've been thinking about selling your home in Encinitas, Carlsbad or Solana Beach, you've probably seen the headlines. Buyers have disappeared. The market has stalled. Nobody's out there looking anymore.
I hear it from clients almost every week.
Here's what I tell them. There's a big difference between a slower market and a stalled one, and what I'm seeing on the ground along the 101 corridor right now is closer to the first.
Yes, mortgage rates are still higher than most people would like. Homes along the coast aren't moving as fast as they were in 2021 or 2022. And every week there's another article telling people to wait it out.
But despite all of that, buyer demand has been remarkably resilient, both nationally and here in Coastal North County.
More sellers are getting to put up the pending sign right now than they were at this same point the last two years. And that's happening at a time of year when activity usually starts to cool off.
If you're weighing whether to sell, that's a trend worth paying attention to.
Buyers Are More Active Than You Think
One of the clearest ways to measure real buyer demand is pending home sales. Those are homes that have gone under contract but haven't closed yet, which makes them a pretty honest, real time read on whether buyers are actually out there or just window shopping.
HousingWire data shows more homes going under contract nationally right now than at this same point the past two years.
I'm seeing a similar pattern in our own market. Well priced homes in Encinitas, Cardiff and Carlsbad that show well are still generating real interest and real offers. It doesn't mean every buyer is jumping at everything. It means the serious ones haven't gone anywhere.
That's genuinely encouraging if you're considering a sale, because it tells us something important. People haven't stopped buying homes. Serious buyers are still making moves, and a lot of them are moving because they've decided they can't keep waiting.
A growing family that's outgrown their place near Moonlight Beach. A retiree ready to finally make the move to the coast. Someone relocating for a new job. Life keeps happening, even when rates sit above 6 percent.
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, put it well when discussing the recent pending sales data. He noted that a late spring buyer rush even with rates holding steady points to real pent up demand and a growing acceptance among buyers that rates in the 6 percent range are simply the new normal, not a temporary detour.
So if you've been worried that nobody's buying right now, this should give you some confidence. Today's buyers aren't casually wandering through open houses on a Sunday. Many of them have spent months on the sidelines waiting for rates to drop, and they've realized waiting any longer isn't serving them. They have a purpose and a timeline, and that's exactly the kind of buyer you want walking through your home.
What This Means for Sellers in Coastal North County
Does this mean every home sells overnight? No, and I won't tell you it does.
Today's market is more balanced than it was a few years ago, especially at higher price points along the coast. That means you can't just name a number and expect a bidding war. Pricing strategy and preparation matter more than they have in years.
Buyers today have choices. They're willing to wait for the right home at the right price, and they're paying close attention to condition, location and value. But sellers who understand where the market actually stands, and who price and present their homes accordingly, are still finding real success in Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia and the surrounding coastal neighborhoods.
The idea that nobody's buying simply isn't backed up by the data, and it isn't what I'm seeing in my own transactions either.
The buyers are here. The opportunity is here. The key is having the right strategy to capture it.
What I'd Tell a Client
This year's market is moving slower than a lot of us hoped for, but buyer demand is holding up better than the headlines let on, both nationally and right here in Coastal North County.
If you're wondering whether there are enough serious buyers out there for your home, let's talk. I can walk you through exactly what's happening in your specific neighborhood, whether that's Old Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Leucadia or anywhere along the 101, and build a strategy that puts you in front of the buyers who are ready to move now.
Reach out anytime. I'd love to help you figure out your next step.
Sam Fakih | Compass Real Estate | Encinitas & Coastal North County Specialist | 21 Years of Local Market Expertise
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